World War II Central Illinois Stories

Oral History Interview: O.B. Streeper of Chenoa

 
                                    

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Transcript for file: obstreeper2008-04-03.mp3

00:00:00

today is Thursday April 3rd 2008 I am I
I am a driveway I’m saying I’m interviewing obese stripper for the veterans
history project of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center
we are at Studio X Campbell Hall in Urbana Illinois
Henry Radcliffe is the director of lighting sound and camera
I like you too

00:00:30

what you to start by telling us what you were doing as the war began and how you came to join them
join the armed services well and the time in the world
began I was working at Eureka Williams
which resort in North America time is a machinist and
then I come up for Grafton
when they ask me what my occupation was I didn’t tell her mother mystery tour
head of I wouldn’t got here and I went into service and I wandered into Rangers

00:01:05

when I have finally got a part of the should know you’re going to be on an aircrew
crew I thought I wanted him and her crew way around it anyway and
send up a time they were getting ready to build a big push for the Air Force
the start to destroy your sisters 1944 early 1940
1040 1943 and
so they decided that I would go dormant
school and learn to take care of all the guns on aircraft with door stop

00:01:40

and the gunnery school to be an aerial gunner on B 24
and I flew the ball toward which hunger underneath and it was a very
very interesting place to be for hours on end and
50 caliber machine guns up beside my head about 6 inches is a reason
I have little difficulty hearing you people know how but
we went through with it formed as a complete group and where is formed up in my
map in Mountain Home Idaho and one down two

00:02:15

Fresno California finish face to face free and shipped out for
North Africa stay there a little while and then move right up in the Italy Italy
part of Italy is just falling Romo just ballin and
then we started operations out of there is a flight crew so
so have you flown bombing missions while you were in Africa no no just a lot of practice
just a lot of practice and your whole crew and begun you cook first got together and
weather in Idaho and then stay together all the way to all the way through we had our own airplane

00:02:50

nobody got that airplane only us and you know you see him now they
different crews fly different airplanes know we had an airplane issue 2
Lowes in California just before in Fresno just before we got ready to leave and that was
that was our airplane and now we bought a real names on it
are aircraft I had a couple name generator by one of the name but
what are the basic name it was a miscarriage and
everything had a string of you were to it everything that and I won’t even names

00:03:25

name some of the name some of the aircraft girls name that was sent you the whole unit
butta you’re living a different life you were living a life of
what you wanted to our first mission
Oceanway wonton was up to be hacked Yugoslavia and where to buy Marshall
marshalling yard we were dropping 20 pound frogs eat
Sharecraft word drop power 40 Plus 46 bomb star cluster
and so sweet coming off the target in on everybody want to see

00:04:00

what look like to hit the bombs into a month to get like that man a rolled a couple times just
app jar very first mission which is a milk run we lost to be 24
keyboards and 20 min information on it just kept every day every day
everyday one day after another then would get in replacements and
that went right up to it Wiz
well you are back on the base whats ur when you were back on the base between missions where you living
you living as a crew in the same hot or how what was the condition their hair out

00:04:35

we have a terminal Tampa in one of those SquarePants
and 6 unless the ban lifted man and then down a little ways was off
officers chance but nobody paid attention to officer down our place with
wheels up to theirs and we had a social club
and the Social Club is not like they show on television everybody together
dealer beat 109 to buy a Kindle app and it going on your have 10 man here 10
10 man heroic 10 man here in your hood come in go like that

00:05:10

go s*** out of your table and you guys have a moderately drink you didn’t drink me
you did not drink everyday because your life depend on the next day or the next
the next day after that so your turn
you didn’t want to know the other crew because they aren’t going to be there tomorrow
what you mean I ain’t going to be there tomorrow you’re probably going to be there but we’re going to be here
so that was a philosophy used to keep your mind straight
they’re going to lose him but we’re not we’re going to make it and

00:05:45

we would get raped and
bizarre Bazaar daylight message yes all day like
and we would get briefed on the target list of an officer vallego
same time and what you’re expecting online
inline Aflac what your expecting in the fighter
attack and what
type of cover where you’re going to have firefighters

00:06:20

the only thing we had recipe 47 to send p38 P 51
is practically nonexistent the time we were flying and a 47 Chevrolet app
delay a prayer about 40,000 feet fighter that come down on top of the fire
The Fighter Alpha fight and
the it didn’t work quite like they like to make it out
how is your work going in the fighters your might see anywhere from 10 to 50 of mouth
wglr more rounder for spots in the sky called the sky was completely full of

00:06:55

polar bear crap but they weren’t bothering you there were looking for the first regular the first going to started
treylan smoke first one it was starting to fall back to sleep a lot
PayPal out man I have a maid come in groups of 5 like that
YouTube down get down and maybe that get people out of their crap maybe they would
who is really hard to say and then but as long as you stated
stayed in tight formation spider didn’t like the pool with you because he was too many 50 caliber machine gun
guys going to fire on them you never know who shot down watercraft when your prego

00:07:30

are there a spot of aircraft heat gun H aircraft got a tattoo
8 to 10 guns fire know who done the song that can get to be a good war store
if you want to push it and then your wedding
hit the target and it would go in
would go in with jelly going around from 19020 1000 feet
and the nose gunner and holler bomb bay doors open
he will be watching the next group next group ahead museum bomb bay doors come up

00:08:05

come up bomb bay doors open so that Bhama deer head over her mom
radars hand held how many feet is going to drop h-bomb apart
stuff like that but didn’t use a site where Norton bombs it never used North bomb site
rebound off of the leader crafts and pretty soon
Trinity bombs away and I go there they go and
sometimes I hit the target sometimes you miss the target but every time with Mr
target I figured we made some Christians down there anyway and then

00:08:40

then we turn and make a sharp turn and try to lose altitude very rapidly to get out of the
can when is going in on target the only thing you could do with hair on it
turn on a straight IP you are at once or tonality Road one certain speed and
what was that show the placard beater Mendes and
soon as you dropped then then I’ll be back to make a turn get down
and when you come out of the plakton the fighters to be out there looking at you
first one has seen trail in fire or smoker philodendron

00:09:15

paper go in after it and I can world really pretty road get them
an sometimes going in on a mission your developing
develop engine trouble going in and you have to abort the mission head home
well we’re the best luck yet not as long as you get the ground
I got some pictures in my album of beam of 25 to 30 feet off the
the ground and so the fighters couldn’t get under it couldn’t come down on your own
man is straight in from the rear straight in from the front

00:09:50

that was pretty suicide because he had 250 side of the back to fifties on top
4922 West guns could get into him and
but if you screw around out there much I stayed up I did get you
Anna Fighters come in a try to help as much as I could and then ate after break
after breaking hair dont and it
so you’re saying with the United States fighter cover couldn’t cover you the entire
vampire mission cuz they had no fuel problem dog in Phoenix AZ

00:10:25

y’all have 25 P 47 is high and you’ll have a
another i30 p38 s2 cover 223 groups
and they’ll be coming in same outlet as you are and
then border wars
dogs out there I’m going to tell you I have seen war 1 P 51 tackle 35
3 potters and down because 2 aircraft was heading home show
shut up and

00:11:00

really were fantastic they were fantastic and so
roughly how often were the missions daily or every other day or how many
flying two days and be off a day and flight 2 days and
in your might I have to abort your mission because of bad weather
and you would have your primary target
when you have a secondary target you couldn’t get in on your primary target because of weather
the primary to secondary target and then after that you could go for a car

00:11:35

target of opportunity you don’t churches schools anything to get credit for a bomb in mansion
no I shouldn’t say that because when pop something to look like it would be an honor
Minimania installation of some kind
I think you said there are 25 you had to be completed 25 missions you were completed one
Lil Wayne tour is that correct yes I do want to explain how that works
well life expectancy of a flight crew 16 missions
and as I said before and you didn’t well on it

00:12:10

the chances to get anybody out of an airplane with very very very slim very slim
North Carolina just blow up and
you’re welcome
if you completed 25 missions then we’re you sent back to the States
States or how to get your dog back to the States we got the 23 missions we got shot down on her
so we went there by the 16 and we’re feeling real good
good time to more missions are we got it made and then work out for that way

00:12:45

what that way I wanted to talk where are you are you ready to talk about that 23rd mission
Raptor mission went down on with a stone
Mia pretty good mission was going to be by me not mirror niece France what’s
what’s going into a Ju 88 Arizona parent they were given the shipping a lot of trouble would
Ju 88 and 1
after a couple days earlier and Black Watch Band nothing was too bad show with on board we got another
another good one coming this time well I know its gonna hurt spotted black and

00:13:20

looks like there’s about 6 maybe 8 guns next thing that hair place 35th
shaking and you show me a non fire flu out there off the one wing what we find
how I find out later than the last time was up there they put in
iRadar control guns and they
number for engine caught fire
blue the tip of a wing off and it was a 75 gallon fuel tank Indiana
the wing so it was strolling gas back and it hit the table

00:13:55

and we actually lost one complete tale off a b24 and then there was no choir
no question later up there and was headed out I was hoping to God we get over Lansing
overwater I hope we get over land I just have no desire to jump in
I know that water and where was fortunate
will you got out and has a very rare that you ever got 10 minutes
I’ve been hit me up on the side of the leg down in here
and I didn’t know how bad it was all I know that my clothes are bloody

00:14:30

and so we started jumping over land
and I seen the center
heal it right on the road and the Germans had a convoy coming up later stop
optical center up in 40 minutes truck and what is daylight
I was just this was during the day what time of day was this said you are your plans
your plane went down what kind of what time of day I was a nice day
good day sunshine today nothing special

00:15:05

afternoon I went on at 10:10 in the morning okay and
trouble if there were Germans had no trouble seeing your phone on a no trouble seeing
and another one he broke both legs and you later
there for 2 days what I found it and I forgot I was going to write down into
and I caught an updraft my parachute cartoon
McConnell raise me like that drop it down on the other side of the mountain is coming right down there
founder of the top of the mountain and I got a paragraph to some kind of dropping on the other side

00:15:40

reason I got to wait and when I
hit the ground I’ll it on some big rocks drug me
and I had a little trouble getting out of the chute stone you’re pretty good I can tell you that
and while I was hanging up a couple looking at my legs and I could see blood
blood coming over my boot and you know I can imagine history Cleveland
I lost part of my leg or something well I did and
so I got down there and I took a shower

00:16:15

shot of morphine a couple Carlisle bandages on my legs and it wasn’t really there
really that bad but I had my hip it was a piece of steel about like that in my hip
and I could feel it show her you look and when you
when you go down you have so little things in life I have a
45 automatic I got the first aid kit I got the escape
Kate get with a silk map to Justina my folder and
I got a big knife leather jacket that’s it for you start

00:16:50

start looking around and what what kind of salvage and I cut some
custom nylon out of my pressure to make kind of a cover to cover up with some frontline
Andam taking my morphine and I started
target out and then I had to take more for me morphine I had about 15 stress or more
and I took them all within 3 days and
and I was going in to a little village
and get myself up I was still in uniform I had unknown

00:17:25

acts of violence or anything like that I was carrying a gun
and I was poked is a 3 dollar bill
and some old gal with a little kid grab me and push me back into the undergrowth
I dont want and hell is that app when I laid there and I don’t know 5 10 15
British owner Germantown boy German patrol goes by
and holy God constantly and there an end to the most
the most beautiful french girls come out got me got me up got my arms around them

00:18:00

48 years later and they weren’t that beautiful women but anyway
what happened last time I thought that is beautiful and they took me up
in the assassin and
Pommier he was on underground
agent well I tried to speak English in Iran hello
why don’t you speak English hello I’m trying
and when your spoked up when your smoked on top of it scared to death

00:18:35

suddenly moved me down a few miles to Lamont
androMouse Edward the poem alone and he was a big wheel with you
underground the monkey that was the Marquis and it was AF e5
5 French forces of Interior and then there’s a lot of splinter groups and their last minute repeater watch
watch your P’s and Q’s real good anyway they like me
a light mean on a date with no anesthetic cut to black out of my hit me up with dirty
dirty fishing string not you don’t think that

00:19:10

straight make an ordeal well then and now
and I have pictures of him they took me out there to town but where she kept me
and some time later in the evening time if you can tie a tie
hi anything to time when your doped up a motorcy
motorcycle with a sidecar pulled up and machine gun was flopping around on the side car
Dr pol down I was going to shoot him and somebody says no no
and it was Edward and this Frenchman is stollen German

00:19:45

German motorcycle and it got me up and put me into motorcycle
and got me probably 20 maybe 25 miles out of this area
hit me out Anna in a place and from then on extra
just the way she kept a floating and you had been a double
I believe in certain people serving people you could not trust
you cannot trust him if I might ask you before you start talking further about the work what
what happened to the remainder of your crew did you find out later yeah

00:20:20

when was taken. PW immediately
other broke both legs and then they got picked up
shortly thereafter and abetting or he’s out of Union
Union City Tennessee I was with him two and a half
what half months later and we travel some together and Harold Steele
and why should Delaware Zeppelin
little brother north in France and I said down let’s get out here

00:20:55

Otterbein accident right you should we leave tomorrow I’m leaving
now I said it ain’t right there something wrong and I said down
you know where I’m probably going to be well then he stayed before
top 40 hours after I did the Germans related to place they would have killed me
probably because I didn’t have any dog takes I hated dog bags
I wouldn’t wear dog tags I’m in Bullhead it all my life why change now
and anyway I work my way back down into southern France

00:21:30

Branson they had a lot of ways our friendship very colorful you know
and Edward he had quite a
organization my help them blow up some bridges shrimp stuffing
chances R Laurie have to look back and laugh that way
picked up a bunch of British plastic to drop 22s on a rough area
and we loaded in a truck and then hit the truck out the following day and then
and then the next evening we went down to blow a bridge and

00:22:05

what really blowing a bridge I don’t know the French side we’re going to go to bridge well
well harrellsville met with me and there were six card
charge air and heat steel tab 3 I took 3 and wine wine wine wine wine
Wyoming its all over world why don’t they want to know if we know anything about
explosives Navi ever seen an American didn’t know everything about anything
first timer set an explosion on there
Stonebridge is you don’t like this how to be a hundred feet above the water blow a hole by big

00:22:40

Bob big enough to where im setting here so I took the rest of the Explorer
explosive probably a ton and a half or so put it in the hole back the truck up on it
porn and I was
going to leave and go across the bridge
pick up my Alpine bags and disappear while the French or German
Cummins common rail blue to brick my package is on the other side
I was in civilian clothes in my pack then

00:23:15

who did the Germans service in understand I never seen
never seen it I understand good sources there was built
bill folds wrist watches everything off day 6 Germans showing their junk
well then they wanted me real bad also I had a seizure
3 Argus touch want to talk always pictures with anymore some of the French for thank God
God the film was in my pocket of a French underground you don’t have the picture so so
things got very very desperate after that they wanted me

00:23:50

wanted me back I buy my friend I got you a head of yourself but when you were YouTube
the bag that was across the river was discovered by the Germans then because yes
yabba dabba do they film just the camera at self yeah ok
can I take you back to a few days after you had landed and had that horrible surgery
surgery you then join this unit yes I going up and I be
be with me and I had trouble hiding places I had several hiding places
I have some people that was I wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for part of the French people

00:24:25

they risked their lives the rest slides with her family 2
do I keep me give me food they had no food or water
what little they had they would give me and
it was unbelievable and then you had
moving around the country it was mine
mind boggling you had a courier and maybe the courier would start out
Alpine bank and they would tell you you follow them

00:25:00

Alpine bike don’t get colostrum stay back history
if I put the Alpine back down you set back way away from it
when somebody else picture backup
follow the bag and
I adore you follow the bag long long long
you were telling me some of those carriers were relatively young people yes
young girl she was

00:25:35

no I don’t know what I would but not big yet on
insert my god I wouldn’t let her do the dishes or she knew the country
country and I would follow her and she took me down to another group and then made
medical courier maybe young girl may bbm on older men
person and you just keep going then they had done different
is signature if you would leave you somewhere and I wore a pair of rum
Green knickerbockers apparel

00:26:10

hobnail boots black
what shirt and a sportcoat like this only was blue well
I don’t know if I can do it correctly anymore but the idea was you would
what kinda girl like that
and you were standing there like this that was the Insignia
that you are the man that are send a courier in to pick up so they would combine
find bump you and you would follow and I sometimes

00:26:45

is mind boggling the things that all went on and it was well organized
niichts we had radio contact
and I think they were in radio contact with Algiers
cheers we would string wire antennas up in the trees in summer
show me a French written did it I did it deep deep deep and
Roberto lot of attempts to get me out of a lot of attempts
I want to come up for the Harris game idea that is a summary

00:27:20

want to come into the bay Submariner pick me up why
why wasnt really not overly enthusiastic about getting on a submarine I should I got out of one airplane
airplane but now I want to get a submarine what you’re never going to come up
anyway they put me in a little wood boat that a bunch of fishing nets
so they had me get underneath a fish in its a covered me all up your ass
Corona roundup turn the bay looking for the submarine and her German
German patrol boat rental spot lights all over now I’ve ever laid underneath a bunch of

00:27:55

rapping fishnets it ain’t the most nice thing you’ve ever done but thank God
god lord willing but no submarine showed up but there was a lot of stuff like
stuff like that there went on what did the American people know
what happened to you at work no all I know is missing in action
and so your family doesn’t know nothing they might
my wife got a telegram to inform you that
sex art journaling the stripper is missing in action from mom

00:28:30

enemy fire and letter will follow the never did you know
another letter and
me place
place I stayed a lot I got a picture of the house and
I stayed or I would say a mile mile and half out there in a little old stone house
house that was one of my safe place I can come back to and
and they would hang linen outfit winters

00:29:05

laundry laundry was hanging out of old windows
get out of here quick as the French would say part 38 on a mountain show your ship
Shepherd ears and get out of there and it was all heavy under grow so I could disappear
disappeared I got on a train I don’t speak French
I had the papers and I supposed to be in a Swiss
and I had TB and
they photograph me to put her in there and

00:29:40

Gundam what to get on
get on the train and they told me that this person would get me a pic it and you
and you do what they do they give me a ticket going to brush up against
Tekkit she got ahead of me show them
he looked at her and looked at them but ur back in pocket I come up to come out late I’m down
bounty fetus at 1 work I was done right there and that’s after wood blown the brick show
show that was a bad time to get caught anyway you never said nothing

00:30:15

folded up for today in and went on a train trip was just a dream
German or a and France was a Frenchman who is checking the papers are in German
what’s the who is checking your papers a German soldier or refractor naughty French people made the papers
can you check them on the trains
trains are German soldier say they can speak French
all I could do is see if I looked like you but I took you back to when you
when you’ve been injured and recovered now I want to bring you back forward now as you’re working

00:30:50

working with him are you going on missions before you blow that bridge have you done other missions yes yes
Ashley Snipes some cars that was a road down
down in there that bitch a cup of motorcycles with sidecars I had couple motorcycles behind
Ministop car where you try to shoot a driver you should go crossed about 400 yards
across the valley well for them to get through they had to come way down
a down then come right up a steep air show 230v in fire
all at the same time then you know where to move just lay there

00:31:25

who is in the undergrowth then you start blacking out and then disappear
we OBLA
odds and ends of stuff and down they had
things that went on I didn’t like
french girl bald headed as I am
p**** sex appeal to McDowell well they would get job
french girl rising with the Germans

00:32:00

and then shave her head and beat her up sometime you need to shoot them
well I couldn’t go that route what the hell
what the hell she wasn’t doing anything I get a little food for a family or something like that
it was kind of the least of my worries and I did have a bad situation tanning
buy me a pie mean Edward
what the sky in to see me and he had a way to get me out going to get
going to get you out any spoken English and you had at my pics

00:32:35

going to get my new paper so I took my picture he be back in a few days
with my new papers when the meantime I found out
German collaborator it wasn’t trying to get me out what I was doing his get
is getting paid to get me where the Germans get get me kind of pie can stay deep
deep India FFI and Mikey territory
my head pretty good protection and he shows back up and
Edward told me that he’s a carburetor so he knocked on the door and I was

00:33:10

standing on the side of the 45 automatic I should come in and see you around
what are the fights that is how cheap life insurance
when you were in that situation life is cheap there life
life or your life and when they’re trying to couldn’t
complain about Iraq soldiers that we have over there
over there for shooting innocent civilians and stuff like that that is wrong
because those people are collaborating and your life

00:33:45

so I used a 100percent we never
going to prosecute any American but that’s my personal
personal opinion and it went on and on
they finally invaded northern France and then they invaded southern France and
and I made my way back and come out band around Puget NE
Toni and Guy taken prisoner by the
Americans and they ask me some questions about

00:34:20

bowl games nice I don’t know nothing about football say I’m not going to let you just tell her
color back quickly how did Highlanders are you taken prisoner by your own troops
Stella’s how that happened what’s a colander fits your own people take you prisoner what was the name
was the circumstances that event this like that I come out where you dress store
sterle’s knickerbockers black shirt who did the raid on Hulu
who do they think you were an blood nose ask a nurse miser hanging down
underneath and not did you know they were

00:34:55

they were young what they want and Maryland uniforms hours basically came today
came to them and said Here I am yeah they just dumb challenge
basically and icon answers
baseball question to 100 hell if he can cuss like that he has to be in America
and so I told him Myers extent of the story
free mason take off peeling back in there for 3 months you sure you want to get along here alright
alright and I

00:35:30

walking down the street looking around and you know what this is nice
nice to be free I seen a jeep go by and they had some officers in it
truck jump in the Jeep and I thought they were going to shoot me and I was at sea
ac air transport command and I told him who I wasn’t thinking
bring it all my god who took me out to their barracks is all officer and I had to sleep in a major
better cop that night and next day they got me on a flight to
Italy and

00:36:05

if the whole thing is just one episode after
after the next after the next after the next no when
during this period you just described the people in your original outfit no URL
you are alive and when did your family learn nobody know nothing
I got into Naples
and being extremely hot head
I couldn’t fly into berry that’s where I wanted to go into the headquarters

00:36:40

tell the next day so I just said well I’ll go down
Red Cross or wherever they may be hidden send a telegram home my wife
I didn’t have no money Shih Tzu’s eyes are what might have been missing in action
I don’t know you have work order doctors research paper I said you don’t have
pay books and dog tags in your back and where I’m at and one thing led to another
another and I guess I got pretty hostile and I heard someone behind
behind me I turn around and it was a captain was a nurse and she said what’s your problem

00:37:15

and I said I just been 3 months behind enemy lines are needed dirty
won’t let him send a telegram for me should send a telegram
telegram I pay for it so I sent my wife a telegram
all the telegram you coded you can have a big hit on read down and side numbers
16 happy birthday number 32 in love and kisses
try picked up or 5 & I get a copy of my butt
MacBook and my wife got it on her birthday

00:37:50

birthday State Farm Bloomington Anna come to my
my folks house they called her and said we got a telegram and
now it’s for you and with a cancer mole bait
show they said birthday greetings love and kisses all well
and she just went spastic well
at last on a couple days and they got a hold of the other mothers you know nobody
hurt anything well then they took day of summer

00:38:25

I put it in before I got shot down to send my wife a birthday greeting
and they got their old and some of the other mothers couple days later they begin to get
can I get some telegrams it was free weights for the government notify them that I had returned
director of Duty and then I
R&R long interrogation with the airforce and stuff ID scene photographs
still had and
so I hate God had a good time

00:39:00

nurses they got me what kind of funny I just want to be with her
should a big deldo the captain and stay the night I slide on Ohio
somewhere only state you dont know youre not
Hotel on my god Here I am up for nurses
take me to the hotel and a good your so she
when I don’t know they are transferred hotel I want to get out you know you should
you stay here in the car so she made me stay in the car if you know what cause trouble to come back

00:39:35

sexy girl gets picked up got your room so I went in there and went up the room and I said no
I said now we’re going to put in the base we going to get you some clean clothes and underwear and we’re going to
going to bring it back food menu talk about a part of you never see no
but then the next day I had to move on went down to Bari Italy in
interrogated and for about a week and then
can men come back to my base and then I come home on a trance
a transport it was a James Parker Building

00:40:10

37 something like that and come into the United
United States and got interogated and I will say
will say one thing and its always stuck with my neck hurts alot on mother face
how I got clean uniform and
stripes song and they make sure I had my ribbons my Purple Heart Air Medal
everything except a good conductor of an item at last Santa
drivers wanted to say Hackensack New Jersey as up to camp shanks

00:40:45

so I hitched hiked up my god you could buy a drink
people couldn’t do enough for you and I got a great big party up there
and this gal she says you’re like my my son
and it was a kernel he was out with a provider group and hear this
discarded as many time is down there so we had a big big time and I make sure I got
sure I got back to camp shanks and union one of the early things I’ve done at 1 a.m.
and I want to buy dollars worth of change nickels dimes quarters

00:41:20

all of my over there paper money money money and always
always want to get in to put my hand on her and running through a bunch of change play with your change in your pocket
saw I got a quart of milk not sitting on the street
street corner not on the corner right across the street
drinking milk and people are just beautiful but that would hurt me
route me to come back out of Vietnam and I have something to charge of duty in Vietnam was
hundred 33rd ct. Target and what did they do with them they threw rocks

00:41:55

phantom the damned draft dodgers with treated like heroes and
anda the gighest or treated like dogs while didn’t happen ww2
we were treated with extreme high honor so then I came home and
didn’t do much just as a flight engineer
modified b25 for a general and
tandem massage Sioux City Iowa to Wichita Falls Texas
what a good time but that’s about the end of the wonderful life so wonderful

00:42:30

wonderful life that was that was what they had you doing until you were haha that was that was what you were doing
you’re doing as a member of the service until you wear mustard out in September yeah ok
just I couldn’t be sent to come by there I wanted to volunteer
go back no we cannot go back to your asshoke ai want to go to the south
South Pacific natural wonder going to first bike no you can’t your class is the spy
how many times I got captured I would be shot
so I was kinda like an unwed mother f you want the truth

00:43:05

at the nobody really protect me he wanted to get to close to me
and had a lot of fun and a lot of fun I like to see if there any other store
stories you’d like to tell about the time you were with me McKay behind
find life are you interested you from telling the time where you met up with another member of your crew
Crow and then you made the decision not to wait around you want to tell us that story
well that’s very end and I went ahead and back down first southern France
France I got taken prisoner the next day or next morning

00:43:40

early and he got sold out for a loaf of bread and
and
is shrimp a couple years in prison work camp he was on that Death March
Marcin alarm archam from all I don’t care crossed up into Germany
and Benny still alive he’s down in Memphis Tennessee facts
EPAct I’m going to stop by and see him in a month visit with him
with a little bit now how many of the cell thats the stuff another member Yokoso

00:44:15

so the other 8 people damage of them survive the war they come out of the war
they did work how old ID off early how many were prisoners of war then
4 and some I’m late
blade blade back in and now nothing
the nothing may God in different localities and butt
but they were protected by the the local by the different local people
and now how to pickle wood

00:44:50

how was your experience as a crew compared to other crews that have been shot down where were you
were you that accept Center where there other cases like the name pendant worth
where you went down app
going down over Yugoslavia you get shot down going
going up to the target you love a beat the other crew back home had a wonderful life
American supply in Landover pick you up and bring it back home but
but anytime you got shot down over some good I can tell you that it was not good

00:45:25

and summer
just drifted off into the sunset baby
maybe you’d say that their own
really that was not too many our organization
neck down why did you playing the two pens you have on your lapel and what those
what those organizations are whatsapp why dont you explain what the tulip Alpins
opens your wearing represent organizations around the top corner

00:46:00

what is the order of the caterpillar
there’s not too many of my own you have to jump from in
airplane on a emergency
the red tail on a caterpillar supposely indicate your plane was on fire
Empire now Eddie Doolittle’s got it
President Bush and President Bush’s father has got to get up
caterpillar amount the New Yorker one here is the silver boot

00:46:35

and a silver boot is the Air Force
escapee abd organization society
dabangg2 it you had to be shot down spend
bend over a month behind enemy lines fighting with them underground
or escape from a prisoner of war camp show the amount of
airplane we lost and we got very very few people are very few
and

00:47:10

then we’re going to vote if we’re going to have the next convention supposed to be
in Philadelphia I believe but we don’t think we’re going to have it is not enough above select
can I add my 19th birthday in behind enemy lines
and I’ll be 40 and 40 L
I’ll be at 5
summarize the boggest so you could have been there much younger than I watch
and so they’re going the loft at Granville off real bad

00:47:45

how we have some old man on part of the crew where one guy in dark room and he was 31 years
1 years old he was grand daddy and
it was wonderful
wonderful I had one brother was
is there with the Pattons Armored Division downtown North African men
app into France 1915 home in a body cast from news
post delivery is arm pits and

00:48:20

did Liam he died a couple years ago I had another brother
brother that flew L force for the hundred 10th Field Artillery
H & E
Herrera very rough time of it but we all live through it
have something to be proud of her all day then I’m the only one alive
so we’re getting out and then what you got out
Barbara McGrew with 55 crew

00:48:55

cruise original cruise out of 55 Cruz 14
one person got in always mentions he was shot down on its own
last mission and blown out of the side of the airplane hits parachute
he was always gunner airplane of blown in half he went out
without irritating PW but I lost wish tremendous
charmanders where you been up to thee
lot of strange places what time we used to call

00:49:30

sausage factory what are you guys going going up the sausage factory
what is sausage Factor was one who started Austria
and so they pull the curtain back and
you say it was up for the sausage factory you can hear everybody outfits
Yak and you can block that one out
but that was the saying that went on and I was up to
100

00:50:05

LSD couple times on
up in a northern Italy bad are some bad places up in there and
Bucharest Budapest and
average mission and your talk about
other people well I had a good friend
Jerry Smith and it was a good rappers I am i single
and he was shot down up in

00:50:40

Czechoslovakia
han he went back over there years later
when they all jump I got hit it bad I jumped I am going to Baylor
bail out and they are playing a cemetery just like that
get a downstairs Cemetery nobody in it then it is snowing or anything and he said he knew
Teddy never could find out what happened to his nose gunner tried and tried
tried and tried to find out what happenes nose gunner so I have some people learn

00:51:15

iron did anybody ever see his nose gunner an
oh come with us come with us and talking down about a four story house
Hotel Indian man hotel bar stuff in it
there’s a picture on the wall and it blew on aircraft
blow up I blew the nose start out a whole tour guns everything went out and he
Sohee tumbledown from about 20000 feet
went through the roof third floor second floor in a company

00:51:50

the second floor it bust it open and throw him out and then it went in
basement he’s got a picture of it he’s dead of course
what is hanging by his parachute like this oper broken timber right in front of the bar
is a big beer tapper there any says you worst part of this is his name was Brewer
millionaire stories not when I’m starting
starting down there on the 23rd and
Georgia to art convention double all kinds of

00:52:25

reminiscing all get together and drinking a little pop with foam on top
oppan start reminiscing and down and you’ll hear some wonderful
wonderful story I know true or true hand down
I am so these emissions from your base
survey says sound like there alot more risky than the ones that were flying out of Britain
at the same time are flying out of where about Britain from the front
where they were same risk and everything cuz I know difference

00:53:00

most of the outfits in Italy were b24
most of Moldova England or be 17 and 24
and the shore is the same as South Pacific or wherever it may be
the stories are the same you got an airplane
I told you worry is going you went up there if you made it back that night
yeah warm place to eat and sleep and some good food and next day is going
is going out again and they had hard targets

00:53:35

we had hard targets there’s quite a rivalry between 224th and a beat
can you be 17 and a beat in the b-24 man
iCall b17 used to be’s what you mean to be all there
they were to be here when we left the beer and we got back and they felt the same way
but its all good good friendly rivalry and I both
airplanes we could carry up heavy R bomb load
we could fly faster make it fly higher

00:54:10

and I could take more abused we could not take my tribulus
and when you were around
your hair in a pony for the wings
the wings have a tendency to break off and another
another great tendency to get hit bad news angency Start Waller and like this
and then I’ll drop and then there were none flat spin map in Japan against the floor
deplorable what your normally being silly penny up in there and you can’t get out

00:54:45

and and back the joint
224 was known as the water be that was a reason because s*** flip on a bike
but they don’t know
Lada lot of damage and I’m on 30th and
don’t never be another
I love you call the wonderful war or what but there never be another
time like it and then the dog face he suffered

00:55:20

tremendously we didn’t have all the stuff suffering that
we had
. Place to eat and sleep dog face he didnt ed K rations
sleep no rain or snow in the month and still got shot and died
where is no pleasure
blessing thing but you’d come out with a lot of respect and I’m going to tell you one thing up
approved it don’t ever touch an American flag if I’m around it

00:55:55

you’re going to have a fight but I don’t give a damn how many people are there in the middle of it
can I get have one left when your glory of my life and if we don’t all
all feel that an American flag is the greatest singer in the world
then we have no business being here and I hope
I hope that anybody see this well give great honor not to me
Khmer hell I made it come on out I’m alive made a good success of life
iPad 4 come out all young lad that was

00:56:30

that was in Korea Vietnam
and over there in Afghanistan Iraq
they
need the encouragement and a great respect for the American people
Anna Gunn always stand up and so I don’t want to go by
because they Donner Party
and we might they talk about it death toll in

00:57:05

Iraq 4000 over half of them
when was in a bottle be like I got drunk fell out of the upstairs window or something
but there was a lot of mucus killed and want to move it but how
how many men did we lose on VJ Day I’m going to be today in Beijing
D Day how many men did we lose power zones how many we lose an eye
is an NGO in Salerno thousands so our world
Lancers Ben minimal

00:57:40

and I I won’t justify the
Iraq and I won’t condement neither one it was a job
jobs at our superiors decide he should be done and I
and it was done you taking shorts golf you take colon Powell
you’ve never heard them say one or three word about a ninja score
you never heard them say one word about their commander in chief
because they were a real soldier and they don’t know what they supposed to do

00:58:15

H&M shoes step back in civilian life and death
we have a hero and believable and I’m sure as hell not one up
I might have the Purple Heart Medal 4 times but that
dont mean anything that would just have many more points to get out of the circus song
well I rather disagree with your comments are not a hero but that’ll be a discussion for another day
another day I want to thank you for giving us the story today are there any other
other. So you wanted to make before we ended the interview I don’t believe so

00:58:50

I would say that alright it was kind of a
personal thing all the way through and it was fun
when we were in Fresno California we had fun when we was in Mountain Home Idaho
we had fun it’s like when you send a picture of everybody standing beside ear
airplane land and water parachutes on and the Kaplan praying for a safe
Faith Mission when I couldn’t even get an airplane with the band parachute on and that was the
impression it wanted

00:59:25

they want to leave with mothers and stuff menu send a picture of a bunny standing up
relieving himself and everybody throwing rocks at it that is the true story the winner
so will a lot of fun at a lot of fun and not just a
I just about a possible thank you thank you for your service and World War
ww2 and thank you for being willing to come and tell us about it today I appreciate that and soul
the rest of us I appreciate it in the invitation and I appreciate
appreciate not for me but for all the other servicemen from ww1 write on

01:00:00

who do the aisle Rockton there let them
its not one is all of us and
Patton had on a little longer
saying he said about the American always want to fight and you don’t
so sore what’s going to happen when your kids get growing up
what your daddy do in the war East Cooper shutdown Alabama
you said you want to be a combat map

01:00:35

a drink that was a genius who had a lot of wonder
wonderful officers all the way through and
just been a memorable time
Charlie has thank you I’ll be thank you

O.B. Streeper served with the Army Air Corps from March 1943 to September 1945. He was shot down May 27, 1944, over southern France. He parachuted to safety, and joined the French resistance. During one of the missions that he participated in, a bag was accidentally left behind contained his name and some of his identification. After finding this bag, the Nazis were apparently convinced that Streeper was one of the key figures in the French resistance so they offered a large reward for him—large enough that it represented several years of salary to an average French citizen—so Streeper had to distance himself from some of his colleagues in the resistance for fear that someone might turn him in for the reward money.